Enchanted
by SliceOfAMemory
Summary: 'Hermione stood alone, wavering on the spot. She didn't even know his name. But she was sure she would love him for the rest of her life.'
1. The Ball

_Hey this is the first story;') it's h/hr...SUPRISE !:P I really hope you like it. Very AU, set in their seventh year. This is my interpretation of Beauxbatons decor, so I hope it's alright. Enjoyyyyy._

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Tonight was very important for Hermione Granger. It was important she looked impressive. Important she caught people's eye. The floor-length red gown and matching spiky heels really weren't her thing at all. Nor was the spangled clutch and the many glittery pins securing her curly hair at the crown of her head. But Lavender and Parvati had showered her with so many compliments that she gave in and agreed to go with the outfit. Besides, how she dressed _was _important.

'You look fabulous,' Parvati assured her. Both she and Lavender were in tight-fitting dresses and, in Hermione's opinion, had most certainly opted for glamour over comfort.

'I feel stupid,' Hermione confessed, marvelling at how easily Parvati pulled off the elegant look even in her translucent lace bodice.

'The guys there are gonna have a stroke soon as they get an eyeful of you!' smirked Lavender.

Hermione gave a weak smile. Tonight, she and the rest of the Beauxbatons Academy were having a ball with guests from Hogwarts School and the Durmstrang Institute, to mark the opening of the fifteen Triwizard Tournament. Hermione, as one of the top students in the school, had been asked to make a speech before everyone. She was extremely apprehensive, but with Lavender and Parvati's frequent reassurances she felt better.

'Is my hair okay?' Lavender fussed, patting down her blonde tresses, which she had straightened sleekly in honour of the occasion.

'Gorgeous,' said Parvati. She gave Hermione a quick grin and shuffled her skirt down a little, to obscure a more excusable portion of thigh.

_Clang._

Hermione, Parvati and Lavender all jumped as the school bell rang out across the building, signally the start of the ball.

'Okay, let's go,' said Lavender, her blue eyes sparkling excitedly.

Hermione grimaced to herself as she and her dorm mates left the room and descended the grand marble staircase below. She knew full well that, had this just been a Beauxbatons ball, they would not be nearly as excited; there were no boys to impress. Hermione was very conscious of tripping up on the hem of her dress, and trod carefully down the stairs. Lavender and Parvati, who were used to this sort of thing, were already at the bottom, walking in their heels as easily as if they were trainers.

'Sorted?' asked Parvati, as Hermione reached them.

Hermione nodded, her mouth to dry to speak. She and her best friends entered the hall, which had been decorated lavishly for the event. A cluster of Durmstrangs stood by the door, gabbling in Bulgarian as they admired their surroundings. Further away, the Hogwarts lot stood, a mass of bright colours against the silvery pillars beyond.

Madame Maxime, dressed in an elegant confection of midnight velvet, swished over to them, her red-lipsticked-lips pursed.

'Hermione,' she said, her voice tinged with a graceful French accent, 'Thank Goodness. You 'ave leetle time before your speech. If you could go up to ze stage...'

Hermione nodded, and gave Parvati and Lavender a fleeting look. Lavender stuck up her thumbs and Parvati mouthed 'you'll be fine!'

The stage was draped with star-speckled, silver satin. Hermione ascended the steps carefully and strode to the middle, long skirt billowing about her. The jostling crowds below gathered around the stage, and silence fell slowly. Madame Maxime, who was standing at the back so as to avoid blocking anyone's view, gave a curt nod.

'Uh,' Hermione began, her voice catching in her throat. Down in the crowd, Lavender beamed at her. 'Welcome to Beauxbatons. It is a great honour to be hosting the Triwizard Tournament her. We hope all our guests will find their stay enjoyable and informative. At the end of the ball the tournament will be officially opened and the Goblet of Fire lit...' Hermione looked around nervously. Somewhere amongst the Hogwarts pupils, was a tall boy in dark green robes who was staring as though mesmerised at her through round glasses. She found herself looking dazedly back, and their eyes met. Something in Hermione's heart stirred.

Madame Maxime suddenly put her hands together and clapped. The sharp sound brought Hermione to her senses; she realised everyone was looking at her expectantly, and felt a blush creeping across her cheeks. Gradually, people started to applaud her, and, feeling exceptionally embarrassed, Hermione got down from the stage and hurried into the crowd.

'Er, 'Mione?'

Her two best friends were pushing through the throng towards her.

'What happened?' Lavender's overly-plucked blonde eyebrows disappeared into her fringe.

Hermione bit her lip. 'I'm not sure, I just...'

'Lost it?' Parvati supplied.

She nodded in response. She didn't want to tell them about the boy with the glasses.

'Hey, there's a rumour going round that Harry Potter's here!'

Hermione drifted out of her reverie. 'What? No way! He's, like, the most famous teenage boy in the world! He's not here...'

Parvati shrugged. 'Dunno. It was just a rumour. So amazing if he was here!'

'Yeah,' said Lavender dreamily, 'he's gorgeous.'

Hermione laughed and she and her best friends struggled through the crowd, where a group of pretty Hogwarts girls were assembled. One of them, a tall girl with long red hair, turned and gave Hermione a wide, knowing smile. Hermione returned it questioningly.

Lavender forced a cup of punch into Hermione's hand and next second a dark-haired Durmstrang boy was at her side.

'Lavender Brown,' she said, in answer to the rather clueless expression on the boy's face. She took the crook of his arm firmly and steered him to the space on the floor where a few couples were dancing in time to the soft music now pulsing around the hall. As he took her waist uncertainly, she glanced over her shoulder and gave the thumbs up to Parvati and Hermione.

'Well, wanna come find yourself a Durmstrang?' asked Parvati, a smile stretching into her dark eyes.

Hermione smiled. 'It's okay. I'll just stay here, and stuff my face with canapés.'

'Okay,' Parvati grinned, and disappeared into the crowd.

Hermione wandered aimlessly amongst the tables laden with food. She didn't much fancy eating, but there wasn't much else to do. The red-haired Hogwarts girl was still there, sipping punch and chatting lightly. She hadn't looked at Hermione since that strange smile she had given her earlier.

The music faded away. Laughing people stopped dancing, moving out of the glimmering silvery spotlight which now lit the middle of the dance floor. Another song came on.

_Pass me that lovely little gun_

_My dear, my darling one_

_The cleaners are coming, one by one_

_You don't even want to let them start_

_They are knocking now upon your door_

_They measure the room, they know the score_

_They're mopping up the butcher's floor_

_Of your broken little hearts_

It was strange, but everyone seemed to have fallen quiet, everyone seemed to have stopped speaking, stopped laughing, stopped moving. A strange silence fell amongst the pupils. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath as the beautiful song played. Someone was behind Hermione, she sensed them.

She turned around.

It was him; the boy who had looked at her, the boy who had made her falter on her speech. His shock of untidy black hair spilled across his forehead, not hiding the gleam of his emerald eyes behind their round spectacles.

He silently held out a hand, and Hermione took it and the two of them strode across to the spotlight, the only movement in the still room. There were no jeers or wolf-whistles. The song continued. The boy took her waist and she rested her hands on his shoulders. They began to dance, gently, through the silvery light, and everything else dropped away; the silent, watchful crowd, everything but the song, and him, and the dance.

_Forgive us now for what we've done_

_It started out as a bit of fun_

_Here, take these before we run away_

_The keys to the Gulag_

_O'children_

_Lift up your voice, lift up your voice_

They were still the only pair on the dance floor. Hermione was oblivious, however. She was lost in his intense green eyes, as they slowly revolved, Hermione's dress billowing gently around her. The song went on, and so did the dance. Still, everyone just stood, silently, and stared, either lost in the song or in their thoughts or... both.

_Hey little train! Wait for me!_

_I was held in chains but now I'm free_

_I'm hanging in there, don't you see?_

_In this process of elimination_

_Hey little train, we are all jumping on_

_The train that goes to the Kingdom_

_We're happy, Ma, we're having fun_

_It's beyond my wildest expectation..._

The last few notes died away, leaving a ringing silence in their wake. Hermione and the green-eyed boy still remained there, holding onto one another. For a long minute they stared into each other's eyes. And then, the moment broke. The next song came on, and noise broke out once more as couples flooded the stage. The boy gave her one last look, and departed into the crowd.

Hermione stood alone, wavering on the spot.

She didn't even know his name. But she was sure she would love him for the rest of her life.

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_Oh dear, corny or what? & she doesn't even know who he is...LOL. Still i hope you liked that chapter & i would love it if you reviewed. I promise it won't be so cheesy next time! _


	2. Confusion

_First off I would like to give my fullest apologies for the late update! Aren't holidays supposed to be un-stressful? Anyway, I promise I won't take as long in future. :P Hope you like the chapter (though I'm afraid it's a tad short...)& thank you SO much for the reviews! I really loved hearing from you. Enjoy! _

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Nobody mentioned the mysterious boy or the dance or O'Children that night. Admittedly, nobody really had the energy to do anything but fall in a heap, fully-dressed and fall asleep. Lavender and Parvati were snoring fitfully, but Hermione couldn't sleep. She lay awake in bed, staring blankly at the pastel ceiling, mulling the night's events over in her head, trying to make sense of it all. It all seemed so _strange_. She wondered, now, if he had had too much to drink and therefore had decided to dance with her in the magical silver spotlight. But then again, it had felt _right,_ she had done it all of instinct ...

_Who was he?_

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Hermione must have eventually dropped off, because she woke next morning to sultry sunshine filling up the dormitory. Parvati had clearly just had a shower, because she was just entering the room, wrapped firmly in a towel and looking bedraggled.

'I am absolutely exhausted,' she said hollowly, pulling her sopping black hair over her shoulder.

'You're not the only one,' Hermione said, smiling weakly.

There was a groan from the corner; Lavender was stirring. She sat up and swept her tousled hair back, revealing dark shadows underneath her eyes.

'S'time already?' she muttered groggily.

In time, everyone woke up enough to get dressed and go down for a late breakfast. The Hogwarts and Durmstrang students were already assembled. Hermione scanned the room carefully for the bespectacled boy and spotted him on a distant table. He was sitting with the red-haired girl who had given Hermione that knowing little smile last night. It caused Hermione an odd pang to see them talking earnestly, heads close together. Was it jealousy?

She, Parvati and Lavender found a table at the other side of the room. Stirring her porridge vaguely Hermione looked back over to the other side of the room. The red-head was now laughing, while the boy grinned appreciatively. Hermione felt another fierce pang.

_Pull yourself together, Granger,_ she told herself firmly, _you've only known him a day – not that, even. You don't even know his name. _

'What'cha gawking at?' Lavender enquired over the stack of toast she had just buttered.

Hermione blinked and shook herself mentally. 'Nothing.'

Parvati raised an eyebrow. 'It's that boy you had a thing with at the ball, isn't it?' she said, a knowing smile on her face.

'We didn't have a _thing_!' said Hermione indignantly, before hastily saying 'but no, it's not him!'

She had given herself away, however. She quickly began ladling more porridge into her untouched bowl in a vague attempt to cover her embarrassment.

Lavender was soon joined by the Durmstrang boy she had "pulled up" last night, and once they had demolished the toast they set off together to the dormitory. Parvati, who had been less successful on the boy front, finished her cereal and left too, leaving Hermione alone at the small circular table.

As she was scraping her bowl, a girl in tight-fitting jeans and a pink jacket, with lots of glossy black hair and large dark eyes approached her.

'Are you Hermione?' she interrogated, looking her up and down disparagingly.

'Yes...' said Hermione slowly, putting down her spoon.

'Right,' she said. She appeared a little younger than Hermione, but nevertheless bold.

'Why do you ask?' Hermione said.

For a moment the girl stared. Then she said, shaking back her black hair, 'no particular reason.'

_Oh-Kay. _Hermione felt a blush rising again and applied herself to her porridge once more. After a while, she sensed the girl had gone. Sure enough, as she looked up, she saw her sitting at a nearby table and lean in to talk to a group of friends. What had that been about?

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The Goblet of Fire had been set up in the heart of the Entrance Hall, upon the white tiles, in amongst pillars.

A group of Beauxbatons students ,who were in the year below, but were clearly seventeen, were dropping their names into the dancing blue flames. The Goblet turned briefly red after each slip of parchment, and once all were safely swallowed, the group made their way to breakfast, chatting lightly.

Hermione had considered entering the Tournament. She was of age, and she was confident she knew enough. But something held her back, despite the fact that Lavender and Parvati had put their names into the Goblet at the end of the ball.

The Goblet flared red again; a Durmstrang boy had just put forward his name. He gave Hermione an odd smile as he departed.

Hermione sighed and began to make her way to the dormitory. She had a feeling that Parvati and Lavender would be talking non-stop about what the tasks would be, but at least she had a Charms essay to distract her.

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That evening, everyone went down to down earlier for dinner, in anticipation of the three champions being selected.

Lavender, Parvati and Hermione ate feverishly fast. Once they had shovelled down liberal helpings of casserole, they pushed their plates away and turned to face the front. They had chosen their table well; they had a perfect view of the Goblet and the staff table.

It was with an air of excitement that everyone assembled, bolted down food and then turned their fullest attention to the front. Lavender's Durmstrang boyfriend, Kalven Kostoff, joined them at their table. He, too, had put forward his name for the Tournament.

Soon, everyone was fed and seated, and Madame Maxime rose to her fullest and rather magnificent height. Silence fell immediately. If excitement had a sound, it would be exploding all around the Hall like fireworks.

'My vairy best of evenings to you all,' Madame Maxime began, smiling around at all the assembled students, 'I am sure you are all waiting for ze champion selection ...' She raised a black-jewelled hand, and the oil lamps at the walls flickered and dimmed. A collective gasp rippled around the students.

Madame Maxime gave a charming smile and turned to face the Goblet. Everyone followed her gaze ... and waited.

After several anticipating minutes, the flames glowed red and a slip of singed parchment was spat out of the cup's depths. Madame Maxime caught it, unfolded it deftly and read out: 'Ze champion for Beauxbatons will be ... Laticia Birke!'

A few groans went around the hall. Lavender and Parvati exchanged heavily disappointed looks. Laticia, a willowy girl with lots of sleek blonde hair, got to her feet and swept to the front. Madame Maxime wrung her hand and directed her to a door off the Hall, which Laticia vanished through. Silence fell once more. Then –

'Ze champion for Durmstrang will be ... Kalven Kostoff!'

All applause was drowned out by an almighty, high-pitched cheer from Lavender as she flung her arms around her boyfriend. A couple of people laughed. Kalven disentangled himself from Lavender and headed to the front, grinning widely. He shook Madame Maxime's hand before following in Laticia's wake.

The hubbub died, the Hogwarts students seemingly more silent as they waited for the selection of their champion. Hermione stared hard at the Goblet along with everyone else, waiting ...

The flames inside it burned scarlet once more, and the final piece of parchment shot out and floated into Madame Maxime's hand. She seemed to take eternity to uncrumple it and read it out. Turning it over in her hands, she looked up at the awaiting students.

'Ze champion for 'Ogwarts is ... Harry Potter!'


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